


The Tale of the Laidly Worm

by LunaoftheBlueMoon01



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Dragons, English folktale, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Funny, Idiots in Love, Love, Pregnancy, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Romance, Royalty, Siblings, story time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 01:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13583058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaoftheBlueMoon01/pseuds/LunaoftheBlueMoon01
Summary: On one rainy night, the kids call out for a story. Blaeja has always been comfortable with listening to the strange Northmen stories her husband tells. But when one night their kids call out for an English story Blaeja has to think fast of a story that wouldn't bore them.It's pure Sigurd/Blaeja family fluff.





	The Tale of the Laidly Worm

**Author's Note:**

> I have a soft spot for Blaeja and Sigurd together and their family I hope we'll one day see on screen.  
> Fan cast: Leyla Feray as older Blaeja. It's very different to the usual fan casts but I thought she really matched, let me know what you think?  
> I decided to use 'The Laidly Worm' as I though 'Beowulf' sounded a bit too Viking 
> 
> Credit to Norse Mythology.org and scared texts.com for the full texts of both works.

The heavy rain battered against the roof above them, banging and bouncing at the thick roof with not a hope of entering. The storm reminded Blaeja of home, as a girl dressed thick in furs she would curl up into the wide groves of the windows, the thick walls providing a ledge to sit on. Her rooms were always high enough she could afford a little window to watch the world of York pass by, she had loved the rains that were almost a daily occurrence in her native land. She would always take her place in her window when the storms began, as the first droplets ran down her window, she would trace them with her finger against the cold glass that was always fogged under her breath. From her little window she watched as the people ran for covers, some pulled their brightly covered clocks tight around them, from so high up they looked like speaks of colour darting through the large courtyard, the cold glass provided a strange feeling of comfort for her as she sat and practiced her needlework. She could still feel the cold glass against her forehead even after all these years. 

A crash of a shutter opening drew her attention back to the present, causing water to pour down the walls of the children bedroom. Sharping into action and pulling her pelts tighter around her she slammed it shut; making sure it wouldn't open again. She decided to leave the few candles that had been blow out as they were, in the dimmer room her shadow danced on the thick walls with every step she took. None of the children noticed though, too engrossed in their father's story. They must have heard it a thousand times, but again and again they always asked for it. The tale of Thor disguising as a women to beat up a stealing giant, Blaeja had to admit it was the most unusual method of revenge she'd ever heard she couldn't imagine her husband's brothers dressing as a women to get back a precious item. The idea of them in lady's garb was enough to make her smile to herself.

 "The guardian of the gods Heimdall came up with a solution 'Thor, you must go to Jotunheim, present yourself as Freyja and win back your hammer from the thieving Thrym.'" She tuned back into her husband's story, pulling the furs up around Tora until she was just a head poking out, her arms immediately popped back out with her doll in hand. "Thor was offended 'I'll do not such thing'" Sigurd's voice deepened in his impression of the god. "He smashed his mighty fists on the table, missing the feel of Mjollnir in his hand." Carefully balancing Alof in one hand, he brought down one fist in between Aslaug and Helgi's exposed feet. "'It is unmanly and Asgard will mock me till Ragnarok.' Mischievous Loki pointed out that if they didn't carry out Heimdall's plan Asgard would fall to the giants."

Seeing Alof's tired eyes start to close, Blaeja walked to her husband, seated on the bottom of the twin's bed, the giggling Aslaug and Helgi. They had one each, but at story time preferred to climb into the same one. Blaeja wondered if it reminded them of the warmth in her womb. Sigurd continued his story, describing Thor and Loki's travels in a little goat pulled chariot. How a small goat was to pull two house built gods Blaeja would never know. She reached out her arms to Alof, her youngest twisted her face and leaded back further into her father's body, small fists grabbing onto his tunic. She knew it was no use, no matter how many time she'd put Alof to bed, the stubborn child had crawled out and into her father's far too willing arms.

With a little roll of her eyes Blaeja sat on the vacant bed, her hand resting on her growing stomach. _Maybe you'll be mine little one and not as in love with your father as your elder siblings_. The little flutter beneath her hand was confirmation enough, this one kicked as much as his siblings had. She knew it was going to be a boy, the seer had told her both her sons would be Kings. _May by God's grace you'll be King of Northumbria and I can show you home._ Blaeja dared not use the name Sigurd had already chosen. _Harthacnut, is he determined to chose names I can't pronounce._ It was bad luck to name a child before it was born. A sharp kick into her back cause her to intake a sharp breath His kicks did not hurt as much as Alof, her little wild toddler with crazy blonde hair like her father's, _What had Sigurd call her? A shield maiden or berserker, whatever that was._ Blaeja worried her Alof was so natured because of their love-making. Blaeja knew they created Alof in the days following his return from battle. She was embarrassed by her great need when he finally arrived back, looking himself almost like a beast, his hair longer than she'd ever seen and his chin covered in scratchy blonde hair. Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks, but Bleaja was sure he'd returned with more muscles that when he'd left. 

Blaeja quickly shock the thoughts from her mind as heat started to creep up her face, if that was true, this one will be just as much a handful. She gently rubbed her stretched belly, she'd hated the marks left behind each time, worried it made her less desirable. She knew it was too silly a thought to bring up again, after the countless times she had  complained to Sigurd she feared if she said it again he'd sing a song about how desirable he found her in front of everyone in the hall. Again. Blaeja hated the attention, hated everyone looking at her when he husband discussed things so imitate. In Northumbria it was unthinkable for a King to be so open about his Queen. Well for a King to play music was just as unheard of.

She tuned back into the story "Thrym pulled back the veil. Thor's eyes burned with such intensity. Thrym shrieked 'Never have I seen a maiden with such eyes' But Loki was quick 'Just as she was unable to eat, she cannot sleep, as such fierce is her longing for you'" Blaeja wasn't sure if talking about longing was appropriate for children, but they didn't seem to notice laughing at the funny high voice Sigurd used for Thrym, a large giant with such a silly voice. Blaeja always had to remind herself she lived in a different world now, were the rules were not as strict as her own upbringing. In that way she was glad her own children wouldn't get a beating as easily as she did.

 "When Mjollnir was placed before Thor's feet, he grabbed the handle and slew Thrym, sending him so high into the air, he has yet to come down before moving onto the other quests present. At last Thor returned to Asgard into his preferred clothes."

 "I like that story Father." Aslaug said.

 "I like the part were Thor slews the giants." Helgi jumped on top his bed, throwing and hitting imaginary giants with his equally imaginary hammer. "When I'm older, I'm going to have my own hammer and call it Mjollner."

 "You can have your own hammer, if you stick to your lessons, not just training with weapons." Sigurd warned, he placed the now sleeping Alof in her bed beside her. She was always funny when she slept, limbs spread out in every direction, just as Ecgberht use to sleep. Helgi slummed back onto the bed, his arms crossed.

 "Tell us a story mother." Tora's small voice called up.

 "No, mother's stories are always boring, about stupid Christians." The pain must have shown on her face as she felt Sigurd large hand take her smaller one into his, from just a look on from him, Aslaug dipped her head and mumbled, "Sorry mother."

 "I like mother's tales, tell us something from your home please mother." Helgi asked, climbing into his own bed. All eyes were on her, she thought for a long hard moment, what should she tell them that they wouldn't find boring. Sigurd pulled her from the shadows into the light of the candles, he gently rubbed circles into her aching back as she found one.

 "Once in the great castle of Bamborough lived a fair old king and his two children, a son named Childe and a daughter named Margaret." Blaeja fell back into her English tongue unsure not sure how to say their names in her adopted language. "Childe set out to find his fortune, while away his mother died of a great and sudden illness. Her King mourned deeply for his wife but one day while out hunting he found a very beautiful lady, although a witch in disguise. He fell immediately in love with her and married her that same day."

Blaeja was a bit rusty, remembering the tale from her childhood. "The new queen was jealous of her step daughter's beauty. She stole herself away to a lowly dungeon and cast her wicked spell:

"I weird ye to be a Laidly Worm,  
And borrowed shall ye never be,  
Until Childe Wynd, the King's own son  
Come to the Heugh and thrice kiss thee;  
Until the world comes to an end,  
Borrowed shall ye never be." 

Blaeja tried her best to make her voice old and cackling. She laughed at how strange her voice sounded , never had she thought she'd have to act as a travelling bard. "In the morning her maidens found in Margaret's bed a great coiled dragon, it chased them from the room and crept into it reached the Heugh and making its home it coiled itself around the rock its a terrible snort raised in the air bellowing grey smoke into the air."

"If its a dragon you fear, I'm should your could have asked our Great Grandfather, he would have slew it for you." Aslaug chimed in, her furs wrapped around her and yawning loudly.

"Ssh! I want to hear." Little Tora called and threw her doll at Aslaug, hitting her squarely in the forehead, the straw doll didn't cause any harm just annoyance to her older sister who tossed it back. Sigurd tucked it safety back in Tora's arms. "Please continue mother."

"Where was I?"

"Margaret has been turned into a dragon." Sigurd said softy, tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"Oh yes. Soon hunger drove the beast from the rock and it devoured everything in sight. Afraid the villagers went to a wizard, he told them the dragon was Princess Margaret and hunger drove her to her monstrous acts 'Put aside for her seven kine, and each day when the sun goes down, carry every drop of milk to the foot of the Heugh and she will bother you no more.'"

"Father should do the wizard voice, he's good at voices." Helgi called from his further bed. His siblings agreed. 

"Oh, em. 'Put aside for her seven kine and each day when the sun goes down... what was the next part?" 

"Carry every drop of milk to the foot of the Heugh and she will bother you no more." Blaeja was curious to see how'd he pronounce Heugh, she hadn't heard in in his language.  

"Carry every drop of milk to the foot of the cliff and she will bother you no more." He said in his old man voice. _Cheat he didn't even try._

"That is your wizard voice?" Blaeja joked her eyebrow crocked.

"Do wizards sound different in England?" Their laughter awoke Alof whose little feet patted along the floor till she was once again in Sigurd's lap, awake as ever.

"They did as the Wizard said and the Laidly Worm bothered them no longer. But when Childe heard the news he swore revenge on his wicked step mother and to rescue his sister. With three and thirty men they built a long ship out of the wood of a Rowan tree and sailed for Bamborough castle. Fearful of her step son, the witch sent out her imps to kill him. But when the reached the shore the imps found they had no power over the ship as it was made of Rowan wood. By her magic the witch sent the Laidly Worm to guard the harbour. 

"As the ship came near the Worm unfolded its coils and dipped into the sea. It took hold of the ship and banged it off the shore. Three times Childe ordered his men to row but each time the Worm stop it from coming ashore. Cunning Childe ordered his men to put the ship about and the witch thought she had won. But Childe docked at Buddle Creek, sword in hand to fight the terrible Laidly Worm.

"But the power the witch had over the Laidly Worm was gone and when Childe came to fight it it did not fight back. As he raised his sword to strike from its jaws came the voice of Margaret.         

 'O, quit your sword, unbend your bow,  
And give me kisses three;  
For though I am a poisonous worm,  
No harm I'll do to thee.

"Childe was so shock, he stood there dumbfounded. Once again Margaret spoke:

O, quit your sword, unbend your bow,  
And give me kisses three;  
If I'm not won ere set of sun,  
Won never shall I be.'

Doing as he was told, Childe kissed the Laidly Worm, no change. He kissed it again, no change. He kissed the terrible creature a third time and with a flash his sister Margaret stood in front of him. He put his cloak around her and took her back to Bamborough. Cowering inside was the witch, Childe touched he with a branch from the Rowan tree and she shrivelled and shrivelled till she was a fat ugly toad. With a hiss and croak she hopped away and Childe became King after his father and all of them spent the rest of their days happy." Helgi and Aslaug were fast asleep in their beds and Alof was softy snoring in Sigurd's arms. Blaeja was left stranded on the end of Tora's bed as he tucked in their youngest daughter, blowing out the candles as he went.

"Father, please never marry a witch, I don't want to be a worm." Tora spoke sleepily as Sigurd pulled his wife from the bed.

"I promise." She wasn't sure if Tora heard before she feel asleep. "Besides if you ever turn into a dragon, three kisses and you'll be back to normal." He whispered to Blaeja, she tired to roll her eyes but ended up laughing instead.   

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story, please feel free to leave a comment and tells me if there's anywhere I can improve?


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